Friday, January 29, 2010

Oh, how I love chicken n' dumplings....let me count the ways.This is by far my favorite comfort food. When Dh & I lived in Brooklyn, we used to go to this southern restaurant, called "Mama's". I would always order the chicken & dumplings and he would order the chicken fried steak. Sometimes, I find myself dreaming of those days & that delicious food. I had one of those days recently & decided it was time to make some.I have used several different recipes in the past. But, this was the first time trying this one. The dumplings are probably the best damn dumplings I've ever had. The key to their yummy goodness is the addition of cornmeal. Something I have never even thought to do. It's fantastic!I think he may have been exaggerating, but DH declared it the best dinner I've ever made.Begin by cutting a 3 pound chicken into 8 pieces. I do this myself, but you can easily ask a butcher to do it for you. I also find it is easier & easier to find packages of cut up chicken in the meat case nowadays. I like to remove the wings & save them for another use, like stock, etc. No one here eats them anyway. Then I cut each breast in half. So, I end up with 2 thighs, 4 breast pieces & 2 drumsticks.Alternatively, you can buy bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts & just use those...for the white meat people out there. I would cut them in half, since the cooking time for this dish is short.In a shallow dish, or plate, pour out enough flour to dredge your chicken in & season it generously with kosher salt & freshly ground pepper.Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy pot with a tight fitting lid. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour & add to the pot, skin side down. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until evenly browned. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to do this in batches. Remove the chicken & set aside.Add in one onion {quartered} & saute for 2 minutes. Then add in 2 carrots {peeled & cut into large chunks}, 2 stalks of celery {cut into large chunks}, one bay leaf, one sprig of fresh thyme, a 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, & salt & pepper {to taste}. Cook for 1 minute more.{You can cut your onion smaller, if desired. I left it big, so it would be easy to fish out later for finicky eaters}Stir in 6 cups of low-sodium chicken broth & return the chicken to the pot. Bring the soup up to a boil, cover & reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.Optional: After the 15 minutes, you can remove the chicken from the soup, let it cool slightly & remove the meat from the bones. This makes it a bit more family friendly & easier to eat. I did this.Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Add 1 1/2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, a 1/2 cup ground cornmeal, 1 tablespoon of sugar & 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.Add 1 3/4 cups of heavy cream, and stir until just combined.Drop the dumpling batter into the simmering soup, by the heaping tablespoonful. Cover the pot & simmer for 12 minutes.Ladle the chicken & dumplings into serving bowls & garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

In a large, heavy pot with a tight fitting lid, heat the olive oil. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour & add to the pot, skin side down. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until evenly browned. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to do this in batches. Remove the chicken & set aside.Add in the chopped onion & saute for 2 minutes. Add in the carrots, celery, bay leaf, thyme, turmeric, salt & pepper & cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the chicken broth & return the chicken to the pot. Bring the soup up to a boil, cover & reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Add the flour, baking powder, cornmeal, sugar & salt to a mixing bowl. Add the heavy cream & stir until just combined.At this point {before adding the dumplings}, you can remove the chicken from the soup, let it cool slightly & remove the chicken from the bones. I did this, as it makes it much easier for kids to eat! Add the chicken back to the pot & return to a gentle simmer.Drop the dumpling batter into the simmering soup, by the heaping tablespoonful. Cover the pot & simmer for 12 minutes.Ladle the chicken & dumplings into serving bowls & garnish with chopped fresh parsley.Click here for the printable recipe.